Adaptable brace



June 27, 1950 H. s. JONES 2,512,943

ADAPTABLE BRACE Filed March 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Harland 5. Jones H. s. JONES ADAPTABLE BRACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harland 5. Jones INVENTOR. @16

BY i mm Patented June 27, 1950 UNIT D STATES PATEN oer-lice 2,512,943; ADAPTABLEs' BRACE Harland- Si Jones,,Union'=, N. Y.

Application Marchz28, 1949,1Seri1lN0;83,792

1 Claim. (01; 77 -43) Thisinventioncomprises novel and usefulirnprovements in-an adaptable brace andmorespecifically pertains toan adjustable. and adaptable brace which is capable of assemblage into a-.va=- r-iety.- of tools for. rotating bits in accordance. with various working conditions.

It is a primary object of" this invention to pro.- vide a brace which is capable of assembling into varioustypes of braces for rotating bitsin improved? manners,- in confined quarters, with increased leverage, and wherein the conversion of the-tool may be effected withease and at. little expense.

Importantieatures of the; invention reside in the ,provisionof a sectionarbrace provided with aconventionalbit chuckto whose splined neck portion may bedetachably connected a-- reversible ratchet: clutch, for detachably receiving aconventional-brace handle or; a ratchet handle whereby; thetoolmay be selectively used for'fast drillingor'boring in relatively open quarters or m'ay be employed with: great leverage in cramped quarters.

A further feature of the invention resides'in the novel? andimproved attaching, means for; connecting a brace handle or a ratchet handle to the :ratchet clutch,--to effect this attachment with easeiandcertainty and to-facilitate-the removal or'thehandle when thezsame. is to be changed.

A. still further feature. ofi the; invention. resides inthe-provision of a novel andiimprovedmanner of securing, by means of anadaptor sleeve, fastened-.to-an extension upon. thesend' of thezsplined neckxoftthe chuck, an anti-friction bearing; hane tile; and. wherein the adaptor sleeve; maybe emaployed for securing. the chuck, after; theratchet clutch .has been removed therefrom,. to'a power tool for usetherewith- Ihese; together with various ancillary features and-objects of the invention, which will later'be-.- come=apparent asthe following descriptionrproceeds, are: attained by this device, a preferred embodimentof which has been illustrated byway of example only in the accompanying drawings; wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away, showingthe'device'assembled as a ratchetloperated brace;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sideelevationalview of the arrangementshown in Figurev 1, parts being broken away and" partsshown in' section to illustrate the construction of" the: detachable handle fastening means of the device;

Figure/3' is a sectional detailed view taken substantially in the plane of the horizontal section line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure tis a sideelevationalview of the device Figure. 5 is an exploded elevational view illustrating'. the. arrangementand construction of the various elementsof, the assemblage shownin Fig,- urewlc Referring now morespecifically to (the accompanying drawings, wherein. like numerals. dos ignate similar parts throughoutthe various views, attention is directed first to Figure-1 wherein a suitablearrangementof the elements of themvention are illustrated providing-a bracehaving a ratchetghandle whereby, great leverage may be imparted for rotating the chuck, wherein; the chuck: may be. reversibly rotated, and: wherein partial rotation of the chuck.- maybe readily.- effectedin eitherdirection, and whereinthe tool is .especially adapted forv use in cramped quarters. Inthisarrangement there is illustrated a bit chuck 10 of suitable andv knowndesign, for-holdinga-.t00lbitll. of any desired type, which chuck in itself: forms no part of--this invention. However", asshown best in Figure-5, the chuck is .provided with a neck portion i which is provided with longitudinalsplines l6; and a shoulder" l8 thereon forreceiving a :spacer. washerorv-collar 20 and a reversible ratchet clutch indicated-;- gene erally'at 2 2-. This clutch is in itselfof known design, and is provided with the customary an.- nular reversing sleevetfl for reversing the clutch gripping action upon the splined portion [6; The ratchet clutch- 22' isv secured upon the splined portion it of the neck: M: as by meansiof areas.- tellated. nut 2.6;- screwed upon the threaded;portion- 28 of. the neck, andgwhich nut-' 1s retainedin locked. position as by a. cotter 13111730 which may be inserted between appropriate castellations-32 ofsthenut and through a cotter pin diametrical aperture appropriately positioned in an extension- 36 ontheneck- I4. The outer; endr-of'this extension is provided withza conical. recess indicated in dottedline at 38 in Figurese'and 5;

As. shown in'Figures. 1, 2; and 5, the ratchet clutch-assembly 22isformed with-a laterally: ex:- tending shank portion 40, carrying: thev above mentionedreversing sleeve 24;;and also receiving, inany suitable detachable. manner, or if dc.- sired aspen. integral. extension thereof, aeshank extension 42wwhich is provided with. an. annular shoulder or flange and-witha tapering orconiicalouter. 3116.148; As shown in Figure. 2, thezfiange 44 is further provided with outwardly projecting guide pins 48 f0r apurp0se to-be later '''set forth.

Av ratchetnhandle 5'03 is; provided with a diametrically enlarged extremity 52 whose outer'end is: externally threaded as at 54,. and-whose outer surface? is provided with: recesses or sockets- 56 for. detachably" but. non-rotatively receiving the guide pins 48 therein, when the end is pressed upon the shank 42. As further shown in Figure 2, the enlarged portion 52 is provided with a tapered bore 58 for frictionally receiving the tawhen the coupling gland is tightened upon the 7 enlarged portion 52, the guide pins 48 are forced into the recesses 56, while the tapered extremity. 46 of the shank is frictionally engaged: in the correspondingly tapered recess 58, to rigidly and. firmly secure the handle to the shank. When it.

It should be here noted that The operation and utility of the construction indicated in Figures 4.- and 5. is as follows. With the part indicated at Figure 5 assembled in the mannershownin Figure 4, the reversible ratchet brace sleeve 24 may be properly adjusted, to permit rotation of the clutch of the chuck Ill in ya desired direction, whereupon the clutch element 22 may serve as a handle or hand grip for positioning the tool.

Upon rotation by hand of the head or handle 62, the engagement of the bushing 64 with the extension 18, and the engagement of sleeve 68 with extension 36 will serve to rotate the chuck head manually forcertain is desired to remove thehandle, the mere reverse guide pins 48-and the tapering extension or extremity 46 of the shank. As will be readily understood, a similar con nection may be employed for securing a conventional brace handle to the shank 42, to thereby adapt the device for use as a conventional speed brace with a crank handle or as a ratchet handle actuated brace. In its latter operation, any suitable means may be employed for applying pres-'- sure to the end of the extension 36, to-thereby force the bit into the work, as when exceptionally hardwood is being drilled or bored by a drill bit or wood bit, as when drilling holes in metal, in employing the device in cramped quarters such as between studs or joints, as by plumbers or electricians, and similar uses.

Referring now again to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that a handle-may be rotatably secured to the extension of the chuck member. This handle obviously may be employed with the ratchet handle 50, to provide an easy means for applying pressure by the other hand of the operator.

This handle includes a suitable knob or head 62 which has a preferably integral depending tubular bushing 64 extending axially therefrom. Suitable set screws 66 extend through the sides of the bushing 64 for co-action with an adaptor sleeve to be now described. 1

This adaptor sleeve comprises a sleeve portion 68 provided with a suitable bore at front extending from one end thereof for detachable engagement upon the extension 36, upon which the sleeve may be secured as by a fastening or shear pin 12 extending through aligned diametrical aperture 14 in the sleeve .68, and also through a diametrical bore 16 in the extension 36. At its closed end, the sleeve 68 i provided with a diametrically reduced extension 18 which terminates in a conical point 80. The extension 18 is of sufiicient diameter to snugly receive the bushing 64, which may be secured thereon by means of the set screw 66 above mentioned, whereby the handle may thus be employed to rotate the neck l4 and the chuck l0. v

As further shown in Figure 5, the extension 18 joins the sleeve 68 with a horizontal shoulder which is perpendicular to the axis of the adaptor sleeve, and an anti-friction bearing assembly 82 of any conventional design is formed upon this shoulder.

uses such as reaming bores, and in some instances operating bits. I However, the bushing 64 and handle 62 may-be removed, and the extension 18' engaged in the chuck socket of any suitable power tool whereby the -bit maybe power operated. f

Alternatively, the conical'tip 80-may be engaged by any suitable jig for positioning the device,'the ratchet handle may be attached, and the brace operated as a ratchet brace. Finally, the adaptor sleeve 68' and handle 62 may be re-- moved, and a suitable'implement engaged in the conical recess 38 to apply pressure to the chuck while the ratchet handle is operated for boring or drilling. I

From the foregoing, the various manners of assembling and employing the tool, and the obvious manifold advantages and uses of each particular assemblage of the elements of the device 6 will be readily understood and furtherexplanation is believed to be unnecessary. It is, however, to be distinctly understood that the invention and the principles thereof are not to be limited by the exact construction shown and described, except as required by the scope of the appended claim. i

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1 1

' A sectional brace comprising a chuck, a splined neck on said chuck, a reversible ratchet clutch detachably received on said neck, an extension non-rotatably secured to said neck and extending through and beyond said ratchet clutch, a head mounted on said extension, a handle for said ratchet clutch and fastening means rotatably connecting said handle and said ratchet clutch, said head including an adaptor sleeve rotatably attached thereto and engageable upon said extension and having a diametrically reduced end, an anti-friction bearing assemblyon said adaptor sleeve, a bushing on said head embracing said reduced end and journalled onsaid bearingassembly, a shear pinnon-rotatably but yieldably connecting said sleeve to said'exten'sion, means selectively lockingsaid head to. said adapter sleeve.

I-IARLAND S. JONES.

REFERENCES orrEn- The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 5

UNITED STATES PATENTS j Number Name Date 71,463 Davies etal. Nov. 26, 1867 747,940 Cleaver Dec. 29, 1903 807,534 Barnes Dec. .19, 1905 953,108 Summers Mar. 29,1910 

